See the Northern Lights
by I am Clara Oswald
Summary: Lena's made it to the end of the list. Her family know. There's nothing they can do but pretend everything is okay, to keep a brave face. -character death Prompt: Write a story about a character who finds out that he or she is dying and has been knocking things off his/her bucket list and has finally reached the last item


Lena looked at the last page in her notebook. Every other page had been ripped out and stuck on the wall, alongside pictures of her completing those items from her bucket list. She thought about the past six months, from finding out, to now, enjoying every moment she got to spend with her family. She had the friends whom she had started off on a rocky foot, such as one Jimmy Olsen, who had assumed she was only a Luthor, destined for evil, but who now called her a sister; she had proved herself to him, and he had proved himself to her. She had Winn, after they met at the gala, and started talking tech, often meeting up to work on projects, some of which were now in use around the globe, alongside the now weekly hang out sessions at his house, watching Game Of Thrones, playing fantasy games, and discussing the latest games consoles and computers. She had Lucy Lane, who she, admittedly, had known for years prior to being introduced to her by James, much to the amusement of the rest of the 'Superfriends' group. She had Maggie, the Detective who she had first met when she was arrested by her, but would now risk almost anything to save her. She had Alex. The women who had saved her life so many years ago, who now felt helpless about not being able to save her this time.

She had Kara. Her wife. Her hero. Her Supergirl. The one person who made her start smiling, the one person who made her feel as though love wasn't something you earned, that it was something that was given, to hell with the circumstances.

All of her family, they had been there from the beginning.

One day, around 5 years ago, Kara found her bucket list, immediately bringing attention to it when they sat at the table for dinner that night.

* * *

" _Hey Lena?" Kara asked, eyeing her suspiciously._

" _Yes angel?" Lena replied, looking into Kara's eyes, detecting the mischievous tint hidden in them._

" _So, I was going through all of our books today, because I know you wanted to set up a room specifically for them," Lena hummed in reply, "And I happened to come across a book that looked like it was decorated by a 5 year old." Lena went stiff, holding her breath, "So, me being nosey, I opened it up, and I found the most adorable bucket list. Baby, I never expected you to have a bucket list! We have to do everything on it!"_

 _Well that was not the response she was expecting. However, they were up into the early hours of the morning, going over the list, seeing what things they could do, and when they could do them. Lena halted onto the last item on her bucket list, on the last page of the notebook, underlined 5 times, highlighted, and surrounded by arrows pointing towards it._

' _See the Northern Lights'_

" _This one. This is the one I want to do before I die. The last thing I want to do. I don't care if we've finished every other item on my bucket list, and I don't die for another twenty years, on my last day, I want to do this."_

 _Kara stopped, looking at Lena with unshed tears into her eyes, "Lena…" she trailed off, leaving the unspoken words hanging in the air. She made a silent wish, hoping that that day was far, far away._

* * *

Lena was shaken from her thoughts when a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked up into the eyes of Maggie, who was flashing her signature dimples smile.

"Hey Luthor, you _know_ if you stay in here any longer, Kara will not hesitate to steal the rest of your food, which I think she already might be doing," She giggled, hearing Kara shouting at Alex in the living room.

"Mags..." Lena started in a broken whisper, the smile dropping almost instantly from Maggie's face, "I need to…I need her…please," The last word, almost silent, tears gathering in her eyes. Maggie frowned ever so slightly, her lips opening, letting a small breath escape. Her eyes drifted towards the notebook in Lena's hand, immediately understanding what Lena was trying not to say. They all knew about the bucket list, they all knew that the last item was reserved for the last day. They were all silently hoping that that day would never come.

"You sure?" Maggie asked, not wanting to admit that this was happening, not wanting to give into Lena because she was sure more could be done. "You could always come out with me, and sit down, enjoy this evening, cuddle up with Kara. A special…" her voice broke, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Hey Lena, I love you." She said with finality. A watery smile graced Lena's lips, as she tugged Maggie to sit down next to her, immediately being wrapped in a hug from the Detective. A few minutes later, a tipsy Alex stumbled into the room, cursing at the floor for being "too damn straight". She looked at Maggie and Lena, her heart dropping, her eyes lingering on the notebook in Lena's hand.

"Hey babe, Kara's going crazy, um also Lena, she's eaten all your food." Tears rolling down her cheeks as she held her hands out to the pair, each of them grabbing one, "come on, I was instructed to come into here and drag you out, so if you don't leave, everyone is coming in and well, you're gonna be screwed." She pulled Maggie to her feet, releasing her hand and placing it under Lena's arm. "Come one shorty, I've hidden some potstickers and I don't think Kara has-"

"OOH ALEX HOW DID YOU THINK YOU COULD HIDE THESE?"

"I stand corrected." Alex guided Lena to the door, taking a deep breath, before leading her out into the living room, and sitting her down in her previous spot, squeezing her arm gently, before going to sit next to Maggie.  
Lena had left the notebook in their room, knowing what Kara's reaction would be, not wanting to to see Kara's face drop just yet. All eyes in the room turned towards her pale complexion. She looked around, making sure to make eye contact with everyone in the room, giving them a real smile, searing into their minds the picture of her face, being happy, no matter how close the end was. James, Winn, Lucy, Maggie, and Alex. Her family. She ended up on Kara, noting the heartbroken look on her face, and the steady stream of tears. Nobody spoke, everyone with tears in their eyes because of the one human who they all loved, had taken into their hearts, and their lives.

"Hey Kara," Lena started, her voice calm, and composed, "I was thinking…" a slip – her emotions betraying her, her sadness evident, "do you think you could take me somewhere? Somewhere special." Kara carefully nodded her head, sucking in a breath, standing up, and offering her hands to Lena, who stood up, as she quickly placed her arms underneath Lena's, supporting her body weight.

"You ready baby?" she managed to say through tears, smiling at her wife.

"Of course angel. Hey," she turned towards her family, trying to hold her composure. "I will see you all when I get back." She said, in the happiest voice she could muster.

"Sure thing." Jimmy Olsen. Proud to call him a brother.

"Awesome! You will have to tell me what it's like." Winn Schott. Her bestfriend.

"Of course." Lucy Lane. The memories she had of them from school.

"Totally Luthor, I don't care if I've dozed off, feel free to punch me awake." Maggie Sawyer. Lucky to have known her.

"Make sure you get back safely." Alex Danvers. Her sister.

Kara picked her up, James handing her a camera, Maggie handing her the note book, Winn handing Kara her phone, Lucy handing them a blanket. Alex walking over to open the window. Kara gave them all a broken smile, kissing Lena's lips, before flying out the door with Lena tucked safely in her arms, her super hearing picking up the sounds of her friends not being strong anymore.

* * *

They landed half an hour later, Kara flying to the sound of Lena's heart beating, steadily getting slower. She sat on the snow, pulling Lena to her lap, wrapping them both in the blanket. She extended her arm in front of them, picking up the camera, and setting it up, before moving Lena further into her, kissing her, and taking the picture, feeling Lena smile against her lips, the Northern Lights bright around them.

"I love you Kara Zor-El." Lena whispered after pulling away from the kiss.

"I love you Lena Luthor."

Lena curled into Kara, resting her head in the crook of Kara's neck, breath faint on her skin. Kara pulled her impossibly closer, as she crossed out the last line on Lena's bucket list, listening to her wife's heartbeat fading away.

 _'See the Northern Lights'_


End file.
